Bowling ball, bag and shoe rack

ABSTRACT

The invention is a side opening bowling ball bag with removable shoe rack. The bottom of the bag is a molded plastic element forming a ball retaining cup and a series of horizontal sockets. The legs of the shoe rack terminate in feet which removably engage the sockets in the bag bottom and are urged into the sockets by the spring action of the rack structure.

1451 May 1,1973

United States Patent 091 Richardson A 2 w s BOWLING BALL BAG AND SHOE 3,029,855 5/1960 Telford............................m

RACK 2,860,681 1 H1958 Le 060...... [75] Inventor: Robert RichardsonEminence Ky 3,534,865 /1968 Holhman..............,..........,...

[73] Assignee: Brunswick Corporation, Skokie. 111. Primary ExaminerSamuel B. Rothberg Assistant ExaminerAlan Esken-as F 1 d: A 11, 1971 l 8 ug Att0rneyDona1d S. Olexa Appl. No.: 170,942

g ball bag with e shoe rack. The bottom of the bag is a plastic element forming a ball retaining cup [52] US. Cl.................,.....l/52 A, 190/51, 211/14 The invention is a side opening bowlin [51] Int. C1.......Bd 65/02, A456 3/00, A451: 13/00 removabl Field of Search....................... /52 A; 21 1/14, molded and a series of horizontal sockets. The legs of the shoe rack terminate in feet which removably en gage the rged into the sockets by the spring action of the rack structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS sockets in the bag bottom and are u 3,525,440 8/1970 Anderson...............................2I1/14 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND The invention is in the field of utility athletic bags and specifically relates to a hand carried bag for a bowling ball and bowling shoes. Bowling ball carrying bags are not new, nor is it novel for a ball bag to incorporate some means for accommodating the bowlers shoes as well as his bowling ball. In most instances in the past this has been accomplished by merely placing a separately constructed rack unit into the bag through the bag opening.

It is an object of the invention to improve upon the ball, bag and shoe rack combination by making the ball rack an integral part of the bottom of the bag. It is another objective of the invention to provide a combination bowling ball and shoe rack from which the shoe rack can be separately removed. It is a further objective of the invention to provide a molded plastic bottom for a bowling bag, which bottom includes a ball retaining rack and sockets to retain the feet of the shoe rack. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a removable shoe rack for insertion in the aforementioned ball bag; said shoe rack having legs extending downwardly therefrom including feet which extend into sockets in the molded bag bottom, and

wherein said legs are inwardly biased to hold the feet in their sockets.

SUMMARY Basically the invention comprises a side opening shoe bag having a zipper extending around the sides and top of one side panel of the bag. The bottom of the bag is a molded plastic pane] having a peripheral flange to which underturned portions of the sides of the bag are sewn. The bag bottom is of molded plastic construction and incorporates a ball retaining cup, a series of sockets extending laterally in from the side edges of said ball retaining cup, and a peripheral flange. A bowling shoe rack removably retained within the bag has a rack portion positioned above the ball and downwardly extending legs with feet which engage the sockets in the bag bottom holding the rack in place.

The construction of said rack is such that the legs are biased inwardly so as to hold its feet within the sockets in the ball rack.

A primary advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the ball rack is an integral portion of the bottom of ball rack portion thereof will rest directly upon the surface upon which the bag is placed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bag of the invention in the open position illustrating the molded bag bottom and removable shoe rack of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section of a bag bottom of the invention illustrating the sockets which engage the Other objectives, advantages and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

feet of the shoe rack of the invention.

of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to FIG. 1, a bag 1 of the invention is made up of two side panels 3 and 4, two end panels 5 and 6, and a top 7. The end panels 5 and 6 and the top 7 form an integral piece of material extending from the left side of the bag across the top and down the right side.

The bottom-l0 of the invention is a rigid plastic element molded to form a ball retaining cup 11 and four laterally extending tubular sockets 12.

The shoe rack 15 of the invention includes a top shelf-like portion 14 made up of a series of four horizontally extending heavy wire elements 16 which bend downwardly at the ends and join a cross brace 17. The two outside elements 16 of the rack extend downwardly from the brace 17 forming four supporting legs l8a-d.

Referring to FIG. 2, the legs 18 of the rack turn inwardly at the bottom forming feet. 19a-d. The heavy rack 15 is shaped so that the legs 18 must be urged apart in order that the feet 19 may enter the sockets 12. This natural bias on the part of the rack serves to keep the feet l9securely within the sockets l2 and maintain the shoe rack in place. I

As further seen from FIG. 2, the bottom 10 of the bag is molded to provide a ball retaining cup 11 and a generally circular base 20 directly beneath. the ball retaining cup 11: upon which the entire assembly can rest. This construction relieves the peripheral portionsof the bag bottom 10 of any ball supporting function when the bag is set down upon a sporting surface.

The sides 3 and 4 of the bag and the end panels 5 and 6 are all attached to the molded plastic bag bottom 10 i via a zipper 2 which extends around the sides and top of I the side panel 3 of the bag.

FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship of the stitching 22 Q to the inwardly turned edges 23 of the side and end panels of the bag. 1, as well as the ball retaining cup 11 of the base 10 and the sockets 12 which retain feet 19 of the shoe rack 15 as explained above.

From the above it is apparent that the shoe rack 15 may be removed from the bag of the invention by merely spreading the legs 18 thereof until the feet 19 disengage from the sockets 12 in the bag base 10. a

While the principles of the invention have been described in connection with the above specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball bag with removable shoe rack comprising;

bag sides,

a bag bottom, and

a shoe rack removably attached to said bag bottom,

said rack having means for engaging said bag bottom and holding said rack in place,

said bag bottom comprising a molded plastic element integrally including,

means for supporting a bowling ball thereon in a preselected position,

means for receiving said engaging means for holding said rack in place, and

means for attachment of said bag sides to said bag bottom.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for attachment of said bag sides to said bag bottom comprises flange portions of said bag bottom extending outwardly from a ball retainer and further including under-turned portions of said bag sides adjacent said flange portions, and

means for attaching said underturned side portions 4 to said flange portions. 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said shoe rack comprises a wire rack having a plurality-of wire downwardly therefrom,

said means for engaging said bag bottom and holding said rack in place includes a foot at the end of each of said legs, and

said integral means for receiving said engaging means comprises a plurality of apertures in said bag bottom each adapted to receive therein one of said feet, and

wherein said wire legs are resilient and set to bias said feet into said apertures.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said feet extend inwardly along axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shoe rack, and the apertures in said bag bottom extend along parallel axes and open respectively toward the ends of said rack so as to receive said feet therein.

legs extending 

1. A bowling ball bag with removable shoe rack comprising; bag sides, a bag bottom, and a shoe rack removably attached to said bag bottom, said rack having means for engaging said bag bottom and holding said rack in place, said bag bottom comprising a molded plastic element integrally including, means for supporting a bowling ball thereon in a preselected position, means for receiving said engaging means for holding said rack in place, and means for attachment of said bag sides to said bag bottom.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for attachment of said bag sides to said bag bottom comprises flange portions of said bag bottom extending outwardly from a ball retainer and further including underturned portions of said bag sides adjacent said flange portions, and means for attaching said underturned side portions to said flange portions.
 3. The dEvice of claim 1 wherein said shoe rack comprises a wire rack having a plurality of wire legs extending downwardly therefrom, said means for engaging said bag bottom and holding said rack in place includes a foot at the end of each of said legs, and said integral means for receiving said engaging means comprises a plurality of apertures in said bag bottom each adapted to receive therein one of said feet, and wherein said wire legs are resilient and set to bias said feet into said apertures.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said feet extend inwardly along axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shoe rack, and the apertures in said bag bottom extend along parallel axes and open respectively toward the ends of said rack so as to receive said feet therein. 